This invention relates in general to fishing accessories and in particular to receptacles for keeping caught fish alive while the individual continues fishing.
As most fishermen are aware, the longer caught fish can be kept alive prior to cooking or fast freezing, the fresher they remain and the better they taste. One approach to keeping caught fish alive longer is to keep them in water, preferably the same water from where they were caught. While conventional cord and metal clip stringers permit a caught fish to be returned to the same water, the interference with the fish's gills and mouth by such devices typically result in the fish dying, sometimes very shortly after being returned to the water. The addition of other fish to the stringer accelerates this process.
Receptacles for storing caught fish which must be worn by the fisherman are not an acceptable alternative. For example, one concern with such receptacles is their weight. A creel represents one type of receptacle which, initially at least, is light in weight. However, this type of receptacle will not retain water and as more fish are added to the storage portion, the weight increases to a point that it may become a concern. Devices such as a creel may also prove unacceptable as the physical size of this type of receptacle interferes with casting motion and general mobility of the fisherman.
In hopes of overcoming some of the foregoing drawbacks to other approaches, floating fish baskets have been conceived. The following listed references are believed to be somewhat typical of the designs of such baskets:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Patentee ______________________________________ 3,478,463 Ruter 3,919,803 Manguso 2,241,314 Mohler 3,559,329 Chiu 4,070,786 Dunham ______________________________________
Ruter discloses a floating fish basket wherein a floatation member has suspended from it a tapering portion which extends into a fish-receiving portion. The top opening through which the fish are placed is recessed within the surrounding floatation member and comprises a spring-loaded mesh cover which must be pushed downwardly in order to insert the fish into the receptacle. This opening for the fish to be inserted into the receptacle is generally flush with the water level. Consequently in order to insert a fish into this type of receptacle, the fish must be lowered very close to the water level resulting in the subsequent risk that the fish may squirm or jump free from the grasp of the fisherman and return to the water. There is also some concern that if the boat is substantially above the water level that the fisherman may be subjected to a very awkward twist or contortion in order to bend over a sufficient degree in order to place the fish into the receptacle.
Manguso discloses a buoyant fish basket whose construction is very similar to that disclosed by the Ruter reference. Although there are some differences, Manguso includes a generally ring-like floatation member the opening of which is covered with a hinged flap or cover and suspended from around the floatation member is a mesh or screen-type of receptacle. The device further includes a rope for suspension and retention of this device on the edge of a boat, although as previously mentioned, the opening to the basket or receptacle portion is disposed substantially flush with the water line.
Mohler discloses a fish bag wherein a generally annular ring floatation member has suspended therefrom a mesh bag very similar in design and theory to both the Ruter and Manguso disclosures. The only variation seen by the Mohler reference is the fact that the floatation member is inflatable by means of an inflation valve and the opening for the fish to be inserted is a diametrical slit in a rubber diaphragm which covers the opening on the interior of the floatation member. Again though, the fish must be lowered to the water level in order to be placed within the receptacle thus incurring the two aforementioned risks of either losing the fish or contorting the fisherman to an unnacceptable or uncomfortable degree.
Chiu discloses a bag with a one-way entrance, and although this particular reference may have some relevance to the present invention, it is basically the disclosure of a creel similar to what trout fisherman, for example, may use. The reference focuses primarily on the design of the inlet which is a funnel-shaped opening which is enabled to expand as the fish slides through from the larger top open end to the smaller tapered closed end. The obvious advantage of this type of design is to prevent the fish from jumping back up through the opening and escaping. However, this particular bag design is not configured with floatation means nor is it suitable to retain water thus not fulfilling one very important purpose of the present invention, that being to keep the fish alive.
Dunham discloses a fish-receiving hopper which is similar in style to the live well or other fish storage container which may be included as part of the boat. Such live wells are typically disposed in the hull of the boat and are filled with water from the surrounding lake or stream. As fish are caught, they are simply tossed into this live well where they remain until the fisherman returns to shore and empties the live well. While the device disclosed in Dunham may have a number of benefits to certain types of fisherman and certain types of situations, it is not configured as a floating fish basket and is not suitable to accompany a fisherman regardless of whether that fisherman is wading in a stream or brook or in a boat, or on shore. One advantage with the present invention which is not found in a device such as that disclosed by the Dunham patent is that the present invention can easily move with the fisherman, regardless of where the fisherman goes.
What is quite clear from a careful review of each of the first three patent disclosures is the device has a top floatation ring below which a fish receptacle is disposed. As a result, the entrance opening for the fish is at or very near the water level. One problem created by this approach is that the fish must be lowered from the boat height down to the water. Not only is this physically awkward for the fisherman, but risky due to the squirming and slippery nature of most fish. The particular physical arrangement of the boat may require that the fisherman brace himself with one hand while he leans over toward the water level thus allowing the fish to be held by only one hand, thereby increasing the risk that the fish may squirm loose.
The Chiu and Dunham references are not floating receptacles and are mentioned only for their disclosure of means to make an inlet opening unidirectional. The one-way entrance of Chiu and the door of Dunham are probably acceptable as inlet covers, but they are not of a preferred design because these types of inlet covers must be pushed open using the fish as a poker. This need for additional handling and manipulation of the fish is believed to be a disadvantage and one which could be avoided by a continuously open inlet which is "guarded" by baffles as found in the present invention. A continuously open inlet enables the fish to merely be dropped in, thereby avoiding the necessity to use the fish as a poker to push through the hinged and closed opening.
Baffles used as slides are found in U.S. Pat. No. 153,855 which issued to Slawson on Aug. 4, 1874. However, the slides of Slawson are specifically designed to overlap with narrow clearance therebetween. This is a design which is unacceptable as a fish receptacle, not only from the slide design, but as well for the remainder of the device and its particular construction.
Further benefits (improvements) found in the present invention and which distinguish this invention from any prior art designs now known, are embodied in part in the baffle design of the present invention, the removable nature of those baffles, the location of the floatation collar relative to the inlet opening and the ability to quickly and easily alter the design for other uses such as shelling, scalloping or claim digging.